Spiral
by ShirukuKage
Summary: My first foray into a multi-chapter story, I hope that it doesn't disappoint.  A/U  Not as dark as my other dark fics.  We're born, we live, we die.  "Do you walk in the light or spiral into darkness."  M-rated, Kanda and Allen.
1. Chapter 1

Spiral

**Rated M: For my piece of mind.  
**

**Overall Warning: I don't plan on making this like either of my previous dark stories. However, due to the subject of the story there will be adult themes and also some darkness, but I will try to keep it balanced. If anything too dark happens I will give an appropriate warning at the start of the affected chapter.**

**Chapter Warning: A bit of fear/terror at the end, nothing graphic.**

**Disclaimer: I don't have a hope in hell of ever owning -Man.**

Sorry I have no beta on this, so please forgive (or point out) the errors.

oOoOo

A/N: First let me apologize to anybody who was waiting for me to write more stories. I did have some stories written and some others started, however my computer was mean to me and ate them. So now I am trying to recreate them but am a slow writer and what's worse I have a poor memory, so it will take a while. Please have patience and thank you for your understanding.

Yes, I'm doing another Kanda and Allen fic. (I simply love them). This story will be an A/U set to our world and time (kind of), but I'm going to be vague as to city names (or I will make some up). The reason for this is simple, I don't know about many other places and I plan to have them travel around a bit. As this is A/U many characters will seem OOC as I will change their personalities to fit my world, I apologize now if you don't like that.

I'm going to try for a multiple chapter story, though I'm not sure how many I'll write in the end. I'm also unsure how often I will be able to update. I will try to keep it to around every two weeks but I make no promises as I would like reviewer input so it might take me longer.

For this first chapter I won't identify the main characters by name but everybody should be able to tell who they are.

Before we start let me give a big thank you to Shizuhana for all of the great advice and encouragement, without which none of this would have been possible. Seriously go check out Shizuhana's stories.

And now let's begin.

oOoOo

"_-do you want to stop and get some ice cream after we're finished?" A woman's melodic voice spoke to the little one at her side._

"_Ya!" The excited cry came from a young child, a wide grin forming on his happy, carefree face._

_In response to the enthusiastic youth the woman's gentle laugh is joined by rich, deep laughter as the man on the child's other side joins in the elation of the moment. _

_The child's dark eyes almost glow in joy, his smile growing as he listens to their laughter, thinking that it sounds better then the most wonderful music in the world._

_With the bright sunlight in the clear blue sky gaily shining on the cheerful group, they made quite a joyous sight as they arrive at their car._

oOoOo

A dark hair young man comes out of sleep suddenly his dream quickly forgotten as he strains all his senses to discover what has awoken him. Years of living in constant wariness have left him on edge and as a learned necessity his body barely stiffens, his eyes barely cracking open to give no outward indication of his awareness.

He tries to steady his beating heart as he strains his hearing to its fullest, ascertaining whether he was alone or not. Verifying that nothing posed any danger to him, he completely opens his eyes and in the filtered morning light fully scans the empty warehouse that has provided shelter for the last week.

Luckily it was fairly secured and sturdy, with a strong concrete wall on the West side, two small doors on the North, one door large enough for a delivery truck was in the South but it was thankfully sealed tight, and the East side had a half-wall of concrete on the bottom and windows on the top.

The windows were the biggest issue of security and comfort. Most of them were intact, but the few broken ones could let in more than the cold. That was where another person could enter and where the trash and leaves did come in, the winds carrying them to accumulating in the corners and opposite wall.

Stretching lean arms above his head, a frown mars his face as he looks about him again trying to understand what had awaken him. Slowly getting to his feet it finally dawns on him that he is totally alone.

"!"

Somewhat frantically he whips his head completely around, eyes roving into the few dark corners of the room as if the one he was looking for would suddenly appear. He sees only the few small bags that contain their possessions still piled in the corner.

He yells out but it changes nothing as only the echoes of his own voice and a slight breeze greet him. Racing to the North he notices that one of the doors isn't closed completely and pulls it open hoping to find the one he's looking for just outside.

Pale clouds cover the early morning sun but enough light encompasses the area to confirm that there is no one near the entrance so he quickly heads to the right to circle the building in hopes that the one he seeks is nearby.

His search proves futile as he reaches his starting point with no sign of his companion. Knowing that his panic is making him illogical he makes himself stand still and breathe deeply in an effort to ease his troubled mind.

'Think it through, I couldn't have slept for that long since he left so he couldn't have gone far,' he reassures himself.

Finally thinking clearly he starts searching the ground for a clue as to his friend's direction of travel and discovers light footprints in the soft dirt. They head off to the other abandon buildings, the ones they had passed over as too unsafe or unsecure.

'I should have known,' he grimly thinks.

Heading off in the same direction he tries to keep his heart steady and his mind focused, mentally willing away any thoughts of the possible dangers.

oOoOo

A young man walks in between the other empty buildings that surrounding the place he's called home for the last week. To look at him first you might mistake him for a child much younger than he was as he was rather short and slightly built. He also moved in the same carefree manner as a child. He would be hard to notice by most as he's sticking mostly to the shadows and his footsteps are light as a cat.

However his rare hair color easily gives him away when he enters the beams of the soft morning light. It is a soft, pale white and when the light hits it, it all but shines. That shoulder length hair almost obscures and frames an equally pale almost feminine face that could almost be called beautiful. His eyes however, are a feature that his hair cannot hide; they are a light blue color that is so pale they resemble liquid silver.

His face looks so young, open and innocent, his cheeks still managing to hold a child-like roundness despite the lack of fat on his body that years of malnutrition had produced.

There was one flaw that his body held one that made him self-conscious but he couldn't manage to totally hate it, because that flaw had given him his constant companion.

He knew that when he had left that he should have told his friend that he was leaving but hefelt bad about disturbing his sleep. So he'd crept as softly as possible to explore his new home.

'And besides,' he thinks, 'it's not like I plan on going far.'

He felt comfortable being there as this was merely another part of his life so far, always on the move and trying to avoid the predators of the streets.

That thought haunted him briefly as he went because he knew that there were others' out there who preyed on anybody they could catch. He'd seen some of the ones that had been caught and he knew what had happened to them.

Ever so briefly his steps faltered and he half considered going back as he could almost hear his friend's voice berating him about his lack of common sense, but dark thoughts simply weren't natural to him and he quickly dismissed them and continued on his way.

He stopped on his journey of exploration when he discovered a small spot of color against the normally pale gray wall of one of the buildings and headed out of the relative safety of the shadows to investigate it. Upon arriving he discovered that it was in fact a small orange flower with a yellow center.

Delight colored his face and he bent down to examine it closer. He found a genuine joy in the little flower that had managed to live and grow in such a harsh place and he stretched out a long thin finger to gently trace one of the soft petals in wonder. This strong but little flower made him think of himself, he also looked too fragile to survive the harsh world but he had survived for about fifteen years, at least eight of those on the streets.

Truthfully he didn't know his real age few children like himself knew or kept track of such things. The only time that he thought was worth keeping track of was his time with his friends, most of who were now gone, and his one remaining friend and travelling companion, the one who had been with him from the beginning of his life on the street.

Despite his harsh situation in life, his mind and heart had somehow always remained innocent and loving. Pessimism never suited him and he tried to never let such darkness linger in him. As such he always seemed to find pleasure and joy in the little things that were often over looked by others. Whether it was the warm sun, the cool breeze or even a little flower that defied the odds.

'So soft,' he thought with glee, a small giggle escaping him as he continued to stroke it.

He was so entranced by the flower that he didn't notice that he was no longer alone. Three others had been warming themselves in a strip of early morning sunlight and had seen him as he left the shadows and approached the flower.

Exchanging knowing glances they grinned to each other and decided that a little _fun_ was in order. Leaving their spot they quickly but quietly stalked towards him in a synchronized formation. Having arrived at their destination they now spread out and once they surrounded him they chuckled darkly.

Hearing that sound he looked up and became tense at their sudden appearance. He stood up quickly trying to look calm while he took in the situation. They were tall, towering over him by the span of at least a head and a half. And they were all built sturdier then him with even the smallest of them being easily twice his size.

He backed up slowly but knew once he hit the wall that he was well and truly trapped and his mind began churning furiously for a way out. As he was thinking they closed in a little tighter and the apparent ringleader spoke in a cold greasy tone while looking down on him.

"So what's a cute little thing like you doing here?"

His apparent second-in-command grinned wider and in a strangely squeaky voice said, "It's dangerous to be alone ya know."

"Ya, you should join us, we can protect you," the third man spoke in a nasal tone.

"Plus we can all have a little fun as well," as the leader spoke again he reached out his hand to stroke the pale cheek.

He had to use all of his restraint not to smack it away, instinctively knowing that it would only make them angry. He could tell they were predators and angry predators were even more dangerous. But he couldn't fully contain a slight shiver of disgust and fear.

However small his reaction was it was seen by them and it seemed to excite them as their grins got darker and wider, the air now hanging heavy with their anticipation.

"Ya, we can have a lot of fun," the leader said while his finger traced down to his chin and on to his neck.

Fear now gripped his heart because he knew what these predators were looking for and he couldn't help but panic and pulling away he tried to dodge to the side, praying his speed was enough to get him out of their presence.

Unfortunately they had anticipated his action and immediately the second-in-command made a quick and brutal grab for his arm. Pulling him back and roughly pushing him into the wall as the third man grabbed and restrained his other arm.

The leader grinned cruelly and nodded to the other two as he desperately fought to break their hold. The men nodded back and held his arms with one of theirs while their other hand reached up to pull on his already tattered shirt, ripping it open and exposing his slender built chest to them.

This action also revealed his flaw to his captors, his left arm. They seemed taken aback briefly as they viewed the scarred and damaged limb. He now felt even more ashamed that they had seen what he has always tried to conceal but he held a slight hope that they would be disgusted enough by it that they would let him go. Yet his momentary hope was soon dashed, predators didn't care.

"Now that wasn't very nice, was it? And here we were being so nice to you," as the leader said this he pressed his hand completely to the now exposed pale chest.

The young man was completely trapped now and beyond fear. Terror made his eyes glaze and dilate and his already young face seemed even younger than before as tears started to gather in his eyes.

This look also seemed to spur the men even more and the leader licked his lips as he leaned in close to his face and spoke in a husky whisper, "You really look quite tasty, I think we could over look that little stunt. And we can always get rid of this later." At that point the leader roughly grabbed his scarred arm.

The young man wanted to throw up from of the touch and the fact that the leaders breath stank of rotted meat. He cursed himself for leaving on his own and for dropping his guard and letting them get close to him. As the leader leaned closer he closed his eyes and vaguely wondered if he would be left alive or if his body would ever be found and if his friend would miss him.

oOoOo

A/N: Yes, a cliffhanger. Sorry, the next chapter is coming soon.

I have a general idea of the next few chapters of this story; however, if anyone has any ideas that they think I need to add or a specific way they think I should incorporate them then please leave a review or a PM and I will try to add it in.

And now a very special thank you to: Shizuhana, Crazymonkey12345, PureVampirePriestess, and Lovelessxx191 for placing me on their favorite authors list. Your support is what inspires me to keep writing.

A special thank you to: Crazymonkey12345, HeliosHime, Skye Leiko, PureVampirePriestess, Shizuhana, shinohime-chan, and Lovelessxx191 for adding my stories to their favorites list. I'm honored that you thought so highly of my stories, I'll strive to keep the quality up.

Also a quick thank you to all of the wonderful people who reviewed my previous stories: Crazymonkey12345, HeliosHime, Samslover, Kichou, LunaticV, PureVampirePriestess, mearr, Neko Nya54, shinohime-chan, Lovelessxx191, Shizuhana, and Xeoh. Your reviews brought me more joy than I can truly express.


	2. Chapter 2

Spiral

Chapter 2

**Rated M: For my piece of mind.**

**Chapter Warning: A bit of language, violence and seeming OOC-ness (though I did warn that this is A/U)**

**Disclaimer: I still don't have a hope in hell of ever owning D. Gray -Man.**

Sorry no beta on this, so please forgive (or point out) the errors.

This chapter is dedicated to M. Nikolai and Shizuhana, for being the only ones to review so far. I hope that this story is going well so far, in your opinions, and that this chapter doesn't disappoint.

OOOO

_Previously…_

_The young man wanted to throw up from of the touch and the fact that the leaders breathe stank of rotted meat. He cursed himself for leaving on his own and for dropping his guard and letting them get close to him. As the leader leaned closer he closed his eyes and vaguely wondered if his body would ever be found and if his friend would miss him._

oOoOo

'Honestly, how far did he get,' the young man grumbled to himself as he continued to follow the faint footprints through the maze of old buildings.

'With as oblivious as he is somebody could snatch him-No, they couldn't,' his mind utterly refusing to believe or finish that thought. He resolutely continued his search around the other buildings reminding himself to remain on guard against anybody else.

He was seventeen years old and he'd lived on the streets long enough to know that anybody that wasn't part of your "family" had to be considered a threat. That, he convinced himself, was why he was here now looking for his friend, his _family_.

True they didn't share a drop of blood but they had been traveling together for years now and that was all that mattered. In fact at the moment they were the only family that each other had. That reason and the fact that his "brother" had saved his life were the reasons he was here searching for him now, and why he put up with some of his bad habits.

"Like wandering off alone," he grumbled lowly to try and take his mind off his anxiety and the memories that threatened to spill into his mind.

Coming to a crossroads of sorts he faced a decision that may or may not lead him to his destination. His mind becoming occupied with vague memories of his youth though he tried to focus his mind knowing that his decision was too important to randomly guess at.

Not finding any sign of the direction his friend went in he had to trust himself to the luck that his friend said he was graced with and with what his instinct was telling him, which was to hurry because he was running out of time. Thus he set off at a quick pace as though to outrun the memories that had already begun unreeling in his head.

_~The darkness of the building was made darker by thick rolling smoke, but that darkness was soon pierced by the glow of angry red flames that hungrily ate a path through all it encountered. Sound became lost to the growling of the destructive element as it quickly grew to encompass the whole dwelling. _

_Clear sight was lost to the blur of hazy smoke and tears as the dark-haired child struggled to his knees and felt in vain along the floor in search of the others, throat too constricted to make more than a weak groan when he tried desperately to call for them._

_Red cut through the blur as the very air seemed to be sucked from his lungs, a loud whooshing noise encompassing all sound for a brief moment before he noticed that the flames were now surrounding him on three sides. Unfortunately, the forth side offered little to no escape as there was a solid wall behind him. _

_Yet the instinct to survive had been with him for too long to ignore and he pressed his side to the wall and tried to follow it in hopes of finding a safe place to escape to. Still not know if the others had somehow made it out safely he was still trying to get his throat to make some coherent sounds in hopes that they would hear and aid him._

_Coming to the end of the wall and faced with the realization that there was no freedom to be found, he tried to brace himself for the inevitable end._

'_It's not like this should surprise me,' he thought to himself bitterly. 'People like us rarely live that long anyway. I hope that the others made it out.'_

_As he started to feel the flames get closer he started to also hope that the smoke got to him first so that he wouldn't have to feel as the fire consumed him. Starting to succumb to the dizziness in his head caused by the smoke he barely heard the large clatter of a large sheet of plywood fall next to him, only vaguely did he feel as someone grabbed his arm and tugged him to the other side of the flames. _

_Falling to the floor with the force of his momentum, his landing was cushioned by a body that he dimly acknowledged as that of his older "brother". Grunting lightly as he tried to push himself to his knees, he felt his rescuer's thin arms aid him in standing up and help to brace him across slim shoulders._

_He wearily noticed that his rescuer was actually quite a bit shorter than himself and as they moved as quickly as their shuffling gait would allow he found himself looking down to see who was aiding him and he noted the soot covered pale hair of the youngest member of their family._

'_At least he's safe,' the taller youth thought in relief as he tried to pick up their pace and get them to safety._

_As they made their way away from the worst of the flames they tried to figure out where the quickest exit was. Upon seeing an area with less smoke and more natural light than the others they moved in that direction as fast as they could._

'_What the hell,' was the last thought in the confused mind of the older boy as he gazed at the sky above him while a loud rumble was starting to sound from the building._

_One moment he was traveling with his little brother and the next he was tumbling to the concrete outside the building. Before his mind could fully comprehend what had happened a sudden sharp and pain filled cry broke through the now overwhelming crackle of flames. _

_It was a sound that would carry into his dreams and haunt his mind for the rest of his life, a sound more heartbreaking for the simple fact that the one who made it rarely cried out, even from pain.~_

That cry echoing in his mind is what snapped him out of his slight daze, had he just heard that cry or was it only a memory? Increasing his speed he discovered that his earlier choice was correct and that luck was indeed with him this day as he came around the corner of a building and spotted the one he was looking for, but his instincts for haste were right also as he took in the entire scene while he ran.

There were a couple of dead trees that at one time must have looked quite lovely when the landscape was taken care of but now after years of neglect they just looked skeletal. Beyond the trees is where he found the objective of his search. His running increased as he saw more.

There were three of them, all towering over him and almost completely obscuring him, only as the one on the left shifted did he see the white hair. That shift revealed more than that though and when he had seen the bare chest he knew that they had already started removing his clothing.

'Please, don't let me be too late. Not again,' he thought frantically barely slowing down he grabbed at the branch of an old dead tree that was on his way towards them all. Luck was again on his side as it gave easily to his desperate pull and he was able to continue on his way without any delay.

Hatred flared into fury as he saw one of them touching his brother's chest and he swung his new weapon as hard as he could at that man's head as he screamed.

oOoOo

"Fucking bastards," a loud voice screamed out in rage just before the sound of a hard, sharp impact.

"What the-," the squeaky man cried letting go of his victims arm just before his voice got higher from a rather dishonorable but effective fighting move.

The silver eyes sprang open in surprise in time to see the second-in-command clutching his groin before a slim tree branch caught his temple and ended his pathetic whining. The third man let go a second too late and received the same branch to his stomach and when he doubled over in pain the make-shift weapon was shattered on his head.

"I swear, Allen, your more trouble than you're worth sometimes," a familiar voice sounded out.

"Kanda!" Allen shouted in relief as he flung himself at his rescuer, clutching him tight as he sobbed into his chest.

'Safe, I'm safe now,' Allen thought as he clung tightly to Kanda while he tried to calm the terror in himself down and stop the tremors that wracked his body.

Kanda merely stood there wrapping one arm around Allen's body to soothe him while trying to calm the fury he'd felt when he'd finally found his friend and seen the condition he was in.

oOoOo

"Fucking bastards," the sound that that motherfuckers head made was quite satisfying but the other attacker started turning around opening his mouth to speak so while the branch was being swung back for another swing Kanda cocked his leg back and kicked as hard as he could at the attacker's groin.

'He'll probably appreciate being knocked out after that,' was Kanda's thought as he brought the branch back around and down on the awaiting head.

The third was still stupidly holding onto Allen and that was going to cost him, big time, as the branch lunged forward and hit his stomach before the follow-up blow rendered the weapon useless as it put a permanent end to the final scum's days of intimidation.

Turning in relief to his friend and "brother" Kanda could see his fear and trying to ease it could only think to say, "I swear, Allen, your more trouble than you're worth sometimes."

He was beyond relieved when Allen shouted his name and grabbed him but his fury swelled when he felt his tears and when Allen's body trembled against him, Kanda's heart clenched when he realized how close his timing had come.

Not knowing what else to do Kanda merely embraced him fiercely and tried to shield him as best he could with his body and presence.

oOoOo

Kanda held Allen tightly as he kept an eye out to make sure no one else was about to witness or threaten them. It wouldn't do to have someone come upon them after they had already averted one trauma.

During the few minutes that Allen's tremor started to ease, Kanda's mind was working furiously and he came to the decision that it was now time to move on.

"Hey, are you okay?" Holding Allen at arm's-length he took in his appearance with a frown.

"Y-yes, I'm okay," Allen's voice came out shakily as he tried to halt his tears.

"Let's get going," without another word Kanda grabbed Allen's hand and quickly led him away from the downed men and back to their shelter.

Allen readily complied, one hand grasping tightly to Kanda's hand as he led him back to safety, the other clutching the material of his tattered shirt to try and cover himself.

In what seemed to be mere moments they arrived back at their pseudo-home, Kanda immediately letting go of Allen's hand and heading to their bags, digging out another shirt and tossing it to Allen to replace his.

Allen gratefully accepted it and shed his previous one, hastily replacing it with the new one. While Allen was donning his new shirt Kanda was re-securing their belongings and with a quick look around made sure he had missed nothing.

When Allen was ready Kanda reclaimed his hand and pulled him back out the door heading in the opposite direction they had come from.

"Kanda, where are we going?" Allen asked somewhat meekly.

"The rail yard, we need to leave now," Kanda's tone left no room for argument, though Allen had no intention to protest as his trust in Kanda was absolute and unwavering and after what had happened he had no real desire to remain in that place.

oOoOo

They were lucky, a train was already prepared to leave the rail yard. So it was with no extra trouble that they were able to approach and board the train and head to a new and hopefully safer destination.

Kanda sat near the open door watching the blur of the landscape roll by with Allen still seeking comfort by sitting closely at his side. Thinking that Kanda was upset with him, Allen tried to think of an appropriate way to apologize before settling on a straightforward approach.

"Kanda, I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?" Kanda's tone seemed genuinely confused.

"I didn't mean to cause trouble-"

"Stop right there. You don't owe me an apology for what happened." Kanda cut in sharply.

"But if-if I hadn't left without you-"

"No! What happened wasn't your fault," at this point Kanda grabbed Allen's shoulders and gave him another tight hug. "Just promise me that you'll be more careful in the future."

"I will. I promise," hearing the emotions in Kanda's usually controlled voice nearly brought Allen to tears again and as he hugged him tightly in return he could only give his sincerest apology silently in his mind for causing Kanda so much worry and trouble.

oOoOo

Though it was only near noon the events of the day wore on Allen and he curled snugly next to Kanda using his arm as a pillow and letting the rumble of the train lull him to sleep. Kanda was still too tense to follow suit immediately.

There was more than one reason he knew that they had to leave for, but he was in no mood to try to explain to Allen what it was.

'I know that he'd understand but I don't want him to be burdened with the knowledge or the guilt,' Kanda sighed to himself as he tightened his hold on Allen.

'I was almost too late; I can't go through that again. I can't lose Allen,' tears slipped through Kanda's eyes as he clenched them closed, trying and losing the battle to fight off sleep and the memory that the events of the day would inevitable bring.

oOoOo

_It was getting late and Kanda knew that _he_ should have been back by then, they were all supposed to be back in the building before night fell. That was the only real rule that they had, the one thing that helped to keep them safe from the worst of the worst. So where was he?_

"_Kanda, you stay here I'm gonna go look for him," the second-oldest of their little family spoke to the child. His warning was really for all of them but he knew that Kanda was the most likely to ignore their rule and head out to find his "brother", the one he was closet to and who was also closest in age to him._

_Having given his warning, and trusting the oldest to keep them safe while he was gone, he took in the others' bids of safe keeping and headed into the night…_

oOoOo

A/N: See Allen's safe, but the other one isn't, so who is he and what happened to him?

Again, I have a general idea of where I'm going; however, if you have any ideas that you think I need to add, then please leave a review or a PM and I will try to add it in. Also, please leave a review whether good or bad; though if it's bad please leave a reason for it.

Again a big thanks to M. Nikolai and Shizuhana, for reviewing so far, I can't express my gratitude enough!

A grateful thank you to: M. Nikolai, LadyDrago88, and latechocox3 for placing this story in their favorites list.

Also a quick thank you to everybody who's placed this story on their alerts list.

I'll try not to let any of you down, if you have anything you think I should add please don't hesitate to say so.


	3. Chapter 3

Spiral

Chapter 3

**Rated M: For my piece of mind.**

**Chapter Warning: Language again (what can I say, Kanda's got quite the mouth), some violence, mentions of past rape, character death (not main) and seeming OOC-ness (though I did warn this is A/U)**

**Disclaimer: I still don't have a hope in hell of ever owning D . Gray -Man.**

Still no beta on this, so please forgive (or point out) the errors.

First of all let me give my deepest apologies to all who waited for this chapter, life and all of its obligations called me away (as well as another story). I've also had a hard time trying to figure the best way to take this story, as many people have place this on their favorites list (for which I will be eternally grateful) yet they leave no reviews. So I hope that I'm going in a direction that you all like, if you don't like it please feel free to leave a review or PM.

As always this chapter is going out to my friends M . Nikolai and Shizuhana, and a new friend whisperypath. I hope that this story is continuing to go well so far, in your opinions, and that this chapter doesn't disappoint. Apologies again whisperypath for not being able to use your idea, I really wish that I could have (I also hope that I didn't frighten you away).

oOoOo

_Previously, Kanda was trapped in a dream…_

_~It was getting late and Kanda knew that _he_ should have been back by then, they were all supposed to be back in the building before night fell. That was the only real rule that they had, the one thing that helped to keep them safe from the worst of the worst. So where was he?_

"_Kanda, you stay here I'm gonna go look for him," the second-oldest of their little family spoke to the child. His warning was for all of them but he knew that Kanda was the most likely to ignore their rule and head out to find his "brother", the one he was closet to and who was also closest in age to him._

_Having given his warning, and trusting the oldest to keep them safe while he was gone, he took in the others' bids of safe keeping and headed into the night…_

oOoOo

_Daisya suspiciously eyed Kanda while gesturing for the boy to join the others away from the door and into the building to await further news. Kanda could only comply while keeping a hopeful eye out for any opportunity to follow the other into the night before he got too far away._

_His reprieve came quickly in the form of an already old argument that broke out between two other occupants of the building that they all shared in._

"_Clear out, this is my spot!" A tall but lanky brunette, who gave his name as Stark, snarled to a shorter man with a pale complexion. _

"_It's not your spot if you're not in it before someone else takes it!" His normally stoic companion, __Scheif,__ shouted back._

_They had arrived together and from that first night they had carried this argument out, even then it had sounded almost scripted and practiced so much so that anyone could tell that they had held it many times before, so anyone would be safe in assuming that they were considered friends._

_This fact turned many amused stares their way but few people reacted with true concern; however, Kanda quickly saw this as his opportunity to escape and trail the older male who considered himself to be a brother to Kanda and the others. Truthfully though Kanda was less concerned about the older boy and was more hopeful to discover the whereabouts of his "true brother", the one who was currently missing.  
_

_So acting quickly, Kanda diverted his path towards a currently unoccupied room and all but dove out of one of its windows. All warnings indeed ignored with the dark swallowing his small form as he rapidly set off in the last direction that the other had taken. _

_After having not found the older male that he set off after and what seemed to be hours of wandering somewhat aimlessly Kanda heard the loud commotion of a large gathering of people. Having no better option at the moment Kanda headed in its direction and spotted a crowd huddled around something on the ground._

_Deciding that it had nothing to do with him, Kanda was already getting ready to head down another alleyway to continue his search when a familiar cry sounded out from among those gathered stopping him in his tracks and refocused his attention on the group where he spotted the familiar dark, wavy hair of his older almost brother._

_A sick feeling instantly seeped into his stomach as Kanda noticed Marie's downcast head and shoulders shaking with barely restrained emotion and he hurriedly raced towards him._

"_What's wrong?" Kanda exclaimed as he reached and shook the elder's arm. As Marie's head spun in Kanda's direction Kanda could see that his eyes were wide and carried a haunted expression and even in the dark he was able to see how much paler the other was._

"_K-Kanda?" Disbelief laced Marie's voice, disbelief of what is what Kanda wanted to know._

"_What's happening?" Kanda repeated irritably in his impatience, knowing that the other wouldn't have lost his normally somewhat stoic mask by showing such an emotional reaction without good cause._

"_Kanda, what are you doing here?" Marie's seeming inability to comprehend Kanda's question turned the sick feeling in his stomach into a feeling of dread and fear. Knowing that whatever caused this response was what enthralled the crowd Kanda pushed through to see what they were surrounding._

_The first glimpse he had was of an arm that was only slightly smaller and less muscled than his own following the arm up he glanced with trepidation at the face. Instantly he knew other things about the arm such as it was two shades paler than its normal skin tone should have been, and that it had a scar on its upper bicep that curled from the front to the back. _

_He knew all of that with a simple look because he recognized the person that that arm belonged to, he was with him when he got that scar from climbing a chain-linked fence to escape some of the other street rabble. Of their family he was the quickest on his feet and second only to Kanda in his sarcasm and suspicion but somehow this time his speed and wariness had failed him._

_Kanda barely noticed the crowd or its noise now, didn't notice Marie's hand on his should, couldn't focus on anything but his brothers' brutalized face unable to focus on the condition of the rest of his body. He only registered his resentment at the callousness of those around him for seeing a child's nude body and not at least granting him the most basic of human dignities by covering him up._

_Someone must have been more compassionate and responsible than the others as the sound of sirens was heard gradually getting closer. Marie griped his shoulder tighter trying to get his attention, knowing that as much as they may have wanted to they couldn't stay there. They could answer none of the police's questions and staying would only draw attention to themselves, attention to their entire family. _

_As with all those who lived and died on the streets there would be no funeral for Alma, no headstone with a full name or date to commemorate his birth or his death. Only a street family that didn't share a drop of blood would even notice the loss of his existence or mourn him.~_

oOoOo

A sharp jar as the train crossed onto a bridge pulled a grateful Kanda from the nightmare of his memories. Trying to catch his breath and steady his frantic heartbeat Kanda focused on the still sleeping face of Allen and couldn't help but reflect on how close a call it had been earlier and how much differently it could have turned out for him.

Kanda's thoughts caused him to unintentionally tighten his grip, having the side effect of causing Allen to temporarily curl tighter into Kanda's body before he stretched to his full if meager length.

"Hmm Kanda, are you okay?" Allen asked as he slowly tried to focus his sleep-filled eyes.

"Of course," Kanda replied without revealing the turmoil he carried with him and giving Allen one last hug he let go, stretching his arms to further shake the troubled and lingering sleep from his limbs.

oOoOo

The days light was at full power as Allen looked out and watched the world passed by in a blur, by the peaceful grin gracing his face, the events of earlier had apparently faded.

Kanda watched him absently while he quietly mulled through several questions regarding what they would do once they reached their destination. Catching sight of the delighted expression on Allen's face as he gazed at a passing field of blue wildflowers, Kanda frowned slightly hating to ask the question that had plagued him since he ended his earlier pursuit but needing to know the answer.

"How did they catch you?"

Allen read the full extent of the question. Yes, he could be spacey at times but he almost always kept his guard up and despite being friendly and open-hearted he never seemed to simply fail to notice when someone entered his personal space.

"Um well, you see…" Embarrassment made him mumble his answer, though he knew that Kanda wouldn't accept that.

Yep, he was right, Kanda's frown deepened to show his annoyance at the vague reply.

"Allen," Kanda's tone indicated that his question would be answered with no more foolishness.

"Well, I was just looking around," Allen dropped his head and turned up his eyes to give Kanda his most appealingly innocent look. "I kind of, just got side-tracked a little bit."

'No,' Kanda told himself. 'His look is not going to get him out of this one.' "What did you get side-tracked on?"

"A flower," Allen's soft reply came as he broke eye contact completely to drop his head a bit more, trying to let his hair hide the rush of color that now decorated his cheeks.

"A flower?" Kanda asked with a deadpanned tone while a muscle on his face twitched.

Allen bent his head further until his chin rested solidly on his chest. Embarrassment and fear of Kanda's anger warred within him.

Truthfully as Kanda looked at the bowed head he was torn between the anger that Allen seemed to expect and a rarely felt amusement. Amusement won out and Allen's head shot up when Kanda's laughter rang out in the boxcar.

"Only you would drop your guard for something as silly as a flower," Kanda gasped out between breaths.

Seeing Kanda's face relaxed like this while listening to his rarely-heard laughter Allen could only smile and join in. These were his favorite times, there was no danger to be on guard for, there were no well-meaning but clueless citizens, no nosy officials around and there was no need for Kanda to appear emotionless to seem strong to others.

Times like this were rarer than the flower had been and were just a precious and valuable to Allen and he would have given anything to keep it. When the laughter eventually faded however there was still a bit of darkness left in Kanda's eyes.

"Are you really okay?" He really hated to keep asking but he didn't like that look when they were alone, it made him worry that one day Kanda would get tired of him and his actions and tell him to leave.

"Yes, I'm fine but you have to promise that you'll be more careful."

"I will," Allen felt a weight lift off his shoulders at the unofficial conformation that Kanda gave him with his request, 'if I only have to be more careful then I can stay with Kanda.'

Though Kanda seriously doubted how long Allen would be able to keep that promise, as he had made it several times in the past, he didn't press the issue trusting that, for awhile at least; Allen would do his best to keep his word.

Kanda instead choose to stretch out next to Allen and turn his gaze to the outside world deciding to follow Allen's example for once and simply enjoy the moment.

oOoOo

'Dammit!' Kanda's thoughts centered to that one word.

He had hoped that this one train ride would take them to safety but as it rolled to a slow crawl in preparation of stopping Kanda could see that their new destination could cause as many troubles as the ones that they were running from.

"Kanda, are we getting out here or are we going to find another train?" Allen's voice came softly from over Kanda's left shoulder.

A frown scored Kanda's face as he tried to balance his thoughts between staying in this city, even briefly, or waiting for another train to a hopefully less crowded, and therefore less dangerous place.

"Let's go," Kanda grabbed their bags and prepared to jump from the now barely moving train. 'Regardless of what we choose we can't stay on this train anymore. Workers would easily see us and probably call the authorities.'

Landing easily he turned to see Allen leaping smoothly and landing lightly behind him, grin firmly on his face.

"You enjoy that way too much," Kanda whispered as he tossed the lighter of the two bags to him.

"I can't help it, I like the feeling of the jump," Allen whispered back as he caught the bag barely controlling the giggles that threatened to spill over.

Together they headed into the tall weeds surrounding the yard to take a quick look around, making sure that no workers had seen their departure. Kanda's internal debate was answered when the loud growl of Allen's stomach cut through his thoughts.

"Sorry," Allen looked a bit miserable and shamed by his body's reaction but Kanda felt more than a little bit horrible at the reminder that that sound gave him.

'It's been three days now since we've had anything descent to eat, the leftover bread we found isn't enough to keep us going for another long train ride. He needs to get food, preferably real food. We both do. ' Kanda acknowledged as his own stomach began to gnaw on itself.

So as the sun gave its last light before heading into twilight, Kanda led Allen over the fence and headed toward the city and the dangers it presented.

oOoOo

As they made their way from the alleys to the busier streets, Allen pressed as close to Kanda as he dared without seeming too fearful. Appearances were everything here draw the wrong attention from the wrong people and you could wind up injured or dead, draw the wrong attention from the "right" people and you could wind up in a worse situation. Nothing scared Allen more than the threat of being returned to the foster system.

So here he was trying to walk confidently beside Kanda, both giving a show of purpose but not arrogance. Confidence, he discovered, was good it would make you seem like you belonged with the "normal" people and if you belonged they wouldn't feel the need to meddle with your life.

Arrogances, however, that was dangerous as it would draw the predator's eyes toward you. They would see your posturing as a challenge and want to take you down for showing it, needing to show you who was the top dog of their little junkyard.

Seeing an unoccupied bench in a fairly safe looking area Kanda veered towards it to let Allen rest a little while he tried to come up with a more solid plan.

After few moments of silence debate Allen finally spoke up, "should we try to find a shelter and get something to eat there?"

Kanda knew what kind of shelter Allen meant; larger cities almost always had homeless shelters. Yet, he couldn't quite decide if that truly was the best option at the moment. The shelters always wanted to know why two kids were travelling the streets without parents. It was possible to fool them, they had done so frequently in the past, but it only worked for short periods of time before someone felt the need to check up on their story.

With his stomach gnawing on itself again and knowing that Allen was probably worse off, Kanda figured that Allen was right this time. The shelter was probably their best bet for the night.

oOoOo

Kanda approached an older woman who was currently cleaning the sidewalk in front of what looked to be an 'all-in-the-family' type of store; experience taught him that women seemed more willing to help without needing the promise of something in return than men and that with her being somewhat preoccupied she would be less likely to openly express any desire to help. There was also the added benefit that her shop was close to the bench where Allen still sat, so Kanda could easily keep an eye on him and get to him if trouble did happen.

"Excuse me ma'am," Kanda had also learned that by lowering his voice a little women seemed much more likely to cooperate with him.

With the way she jumped she had apparently not noticed his presence until he spoke. Gripping the broom a little tighter she nodded her head in acknowledgment though her eyes did narrow a little.

"I can see that you're busy but I was hoping that you might let me borrow your phonebook?" Keeping his voice politely and patience, his face neutral and his lips with a slight up-turn Kanda made his request as to the point yet as vague as he could.

Demonstrating the one _true _advantage that big cities had over smaller ones she gave a slight frown but nodded her agreement and told him to talk to her son inside. Kanda nodded his thanks and headed inside to look up the address he needed, all the while silently thanking whatever god was listening for the fact that as long as you looked like you belonged people in big cities were too concerned with themselves to look further than their own noses.

oOoOo

A/N: I was going to introduce a few new characters in this chapter but I think this was a good cut-off point so I'll wait until the next chapter.

Again I'm sorry that this took so long I'll try and get the next one up quicker but, as before, I make no promises. I have many concerns to consider in writing this yet so little input that it takes me longer to try and figure out the best path to take. My biggest concern currently is the question of which kind of story to have this ultimately be: a tragic dark story (with death for one or both of the main characters), a light-type of dark story (think lots of conflict and angst yet no death for Kanda and Allen) or a happily-ever-after type of thing. My opinion seems to change with my mood so if anyone has an opinion of their own that they'd like to share please feel free.


	4. Chapter 4

Spiral

Chapter 4

**Rated M: For my piece of mind.**

**Chapter Warning: A bit of language, but mostly a bit of violence and seeming OOC-ness (though I did warn this is A/U)**

**Disclaimer: I still don't have a hope in hell of ever owning D . Gray -Man.**

Sorry no beta on this, so please forgive (or point out) the errors.

As always this chapter is going out to my friends M . Nikolai (first story is up go and read it people it's a 'Fullmetal Alchemist' one, it's good and worth the read) and Shizuhana (she has tons and they're good and also definitely worth the read) and my new friend whisperypath (as always, I love the support and many thanks for the "ghostly aura of good luck"). You guys are the greatest! I hope that this story is still going well so far, in your opinions, and that this chapter doesn't disappoint.

oOoOo

_Previously…_

_Demonstrating the one true advantage that big cities had over smaller ones she gave a slight frown but nodded her agreement and told him to talk to her son inside. Kanda nodded his thanks and headed inside to look up the address he needed, all the while silently thanking whatever god was listening for the fact that as long as you looked like you belonged people in big cities were too concerned with themselves to look further than their own noses._

oOoOo

Having gotten the needed address Kanda wasted no time in leaving the store and crossing the street to get back to where Allen was still patiently waiting.

"So, did you get it?" Allen asked as Kanda rejoined him on the bench.

Kanda snorted in amusement, "of course, like there was any doubt that I would."

Allen could only smile in agreement of Kanda's skills, his belief and faith in Kanda absolute.

"The only problem is that we're far enough away from it that by the time that we _do_ get there they might have already locked their doors for the night."

"So you're saying that the real question is do we head over there now and try to beat their closing time or do we just try to find a safe place for the night and head over there for breakfast?"

"I'm saying that we should hurry and head over there now but also keep an eye out for possible places to stay in case we don't make it in time." Having said that Kanda stood and hoisted one of the bags that had been previously lying at their feet then extended a hand to help Allen up, waiting as he grab the last bag.

Deciding on speed rather than obscurity they stayed on the main streets as they headed north as quickly as they could without drawing undue attention to themselves. Kanda's eyes never slowed as he took in the sights and alleyways around him, while Allen did his best to keep up without running into the few people that were still on the street with them.

oOoOo

When they arrived they discover that their speed was for naught as the doors were firmly shut.

"Did you see any places to stay Kanda," Allen hated to disturb Kanda's fuming but he knew that he wasn't paying enough attention as they were traveling and he didn't like the feeling that standing there in the open was giving him.

"A few that might work," Kanda said irritably as he glared at the doors. He was annoyed not just because they had missed a place of relative safety to sleep but because they had also narrowed down on the chances of getting easy access to food for the morning. It was first come first serve until the food was gone and they couldn't stay close enough to the shelter to ensure that they would get there before the food ran out.

"Come on, we can't keep standing here." Turning around Kanda headed back in the direction they had just come from.

While he was gritting his teeth Kanda was trying to balance the thoughts of the best place to settle for the night against the best place to find something to eat before morning.

Logically the best place to eat would be around the same area as the shop he'd gotten the phonebook from, all those shops around pretty much ensured some kind of food in the dumpsters. But the shops were too far from the places to sleep that he'd spotted on the way to the shelter, as well as being too far from the shelter itself.

Staying there all but ensured that they would not get to the shelter in time for breakfast but the places he'd seen to settle in didn't look like they were in areas that would contain a lot of food. That left the big question of could they risk going another night without food.

Looking at Allen he was even more torn in his decision. Allen looked pale and cold and he easily remembered how thin he was without the baggy shirt on, he needed food but he also needed rest. As Kanda opened his mouth to ask Allen which he needed most the decision was momentarily lost when a high pitched scream cut through the night.

oOoOo

Allen's eyes widened in surprise at the noise and he stopped moving while Kanda swiveled his head to determine the direction and to discover if there was any danger to them. Determining the direction to be the opposite side of the alley to his left and that there were no sounds of pursuit coming for them, Kanda dismissed the noise as just a mugging but decided to get himself and Allen out of the area just in case.

As he started off in their original direction he got only a few steps before noticing that Allen had not followed him. Looking back he could only sigh when he saw Allen glancing between the alley and his face.

"We can stop and help everybody," Kanda didn't like sounding that cold but it was simply the truth. Like everybody else in the world his only goals were to keep himself, and Allen, safe not go around rescuing everybody who had a little trouble.

"But, she sounds like she really needs help. What if…what if they're trying to…" Allen couldn't finish the sentence but his eyes were haunted with the memories of what had almost happened to him. Kanda could easily see the look and the slight tremors that shook his body again and he knew that regardless of his personal beliefs he was stuck helping whoever it was that had screamed.

Grabbing Allen and pushing him to the dubious safety of a storefront awning he gestured for him to stay there and hide in its shadow, then set off at a quick but quiet pace around the corner and into the alley itself. Sticking tightly to the shadows as he tried to discern what exactly was happening before deciding on a course of action.

Drawing closer he could now hear the sharp sound of hard impacts on flesh. If the sounds were any indication of the act he was thinking of Kanda was doubly thankful that Allen wasn't with him.

oOoOo

'Tonight was so boring. There were no serious prospects from that party. I hope nobody minds me going back on my own, maybe there are a few customers at home.' A somewhat short but slim and shapely woman wearing an almost indecently short black skirt and a close to see-through purple mid-riff blouse set off at a fast pace in a Southern direction to get to her "home" swinging a small purse as she swayed her hips in a dance that only she heard the music to.

She moved with a seductive ease and an air of confidence that few could master and yet it came so natural to her that she was able to pull it off without thought. The few people still out with her watched as she glided past, some with envy but most with lust. Used to the looks she paid no attention to them, in her mind unless they showed true interest and flashed a little cash they simply weren't worth acknowledging so instead she focused her mind on thinking of what to do if there were no customers at the house.

'Hmmm, I guess I could ask to go out to a different party. If it's slow then maybe I'll go to a movie; I wonder if he'd agree to join me? Probably not, he's always got work.'

She was about two blocks from home when she saw the bright hair and even brighter shirt of the one she was just thinking about.

'Honestly, who wears that shade of green? He looks like he's radioactive.' She thought fondly as he started to turn her direction and she raised her arm to wave to him. The surprise on his face melted into his usual wide grin and he was raising his arm to wave back to her when a person she had previous ignored emerged from the shadows behind her, grabbed her by the waist and arm and proceeded to pull her into the alley on their right side.

The instant the figure made a grab for her the male she was greeting lost his grin and sprang into action, starting to run quickly towards her so that by the time she was thrown into the alley he was already approaching its entrance.

"Give me the money you stupid little slut," the man was pudgy and about average height yet easily towered over her as he raised his fist and struck her shoulder, though overweight he still had quite a bit of strength behind his punch and its power knocked the breath from her briefly as she collided with the wall.

As he raised his arm for another hit he was suddenly hit by the body of the man that had followed them, their combined weight throwing them into the wall next beside her as she scrambled to get out of the way. The would-be attacker proved to be quicker than he looked when he twisted as they landed and was already bringing his knee up to the others mid-section before he could gain his full footing.

While the attempted rescuer was doubled over the attacker locked his hands together and brought them down on the back of his shoulders with his full strength. When he collapsed the man continued to strike him and the female seeing her friend in such danger did the only thing she could think of, letting loose the loudest scream she could muster.

That worked for and against her, as someone did hear her scream and was indeed on their way to help but it also irritated the assailant and he reached his left hand up, grabbed her neck and in an attempt to quiet her pushed her into the wall again knocking her out. Noticing that she was no longer a concern he turned his now undivided attention, and fists, back to the other who had started to once again struggle to get back on his feet.

oOoOo

The sight that greeted Kanda was, in many ways, a relief. The scene now easily identifying that the sounds of the assault were of the more mundane variety. Despite looking to be unconscious the female looked to be in fairly good condition but the individual on the ground looked to be in need of a little aid.

'What I wouldn't give to have that branch again,' Kanda thought wryly as he did a quick glance to see if there was anything lying around that he could use as a weapon.

Not spotting anything bigger than a beer can and seeing that the male on the ground was still willing to fight he decided to just try an attack from behind and give the other a chance to get to his feet and help in their rescue.

The assailant must have been concentrating too hard on the person in front of him as he gave no indication of hearing Kanda's charging footsteps but the one on the ground seemed to hear him just fine as he suddenly drew his feet and hands underneath himself to launch the attacker into a better position for Kanda's tackle.

The move worked perfectly as the man's own weight helped to throw him off balance and Kanda hit him hard from behind, barely missing the girl and throwing him face-first into the wall. The one on the ground quickly recovered and was on his feet next to Kanda in an instant. Knowing the fight had nothing more to do with him, Kanda was content to back-off and observe the other while he did what he felt was necessary.

The man was lean and looked to be around the same height as Kanda with an unusually spiky hairstyle though the hair color was currently indeterminable, Kanda could only say that it was lighter than his own and dark than Allen's. While watching the man's moves Kanda could tell that this individual knew how to hold his own in a fight. Leading Kanda to wonder how he had gotten in the position he did.

When he was done gathering information from the male, Kanda turned his gaze on the female. She had short dark hair and seeing that she was still slumped on the ground it was hard to accurately gauge her height; his impression was that she was shorter than him though if he had to guess he'd say that she was probably only a little taller than Allen. Watching her as her friend pummeled her attacker he could see that she was now shivering, though whether from the cold, as she not dressed in the warmest of clothing, or from something else he couldn't say.

Sensing more than hearing that the final blow was coming Kanda turned back and watched as the spiky-haired male drew his leg back and gave a vicious kick to the other's stomach. Whether winded by the blow or finally unconscious the man fell silent and ceased his struggles. By the tension in man's shoulders Kanda could guess how hard it was to stop at that attack.

oOoOo

Shadows still seemed to cling to his face as the male turned to face him, judging it seemed to see if Kanda was a new threat or an unlikely ally. Kanda made sure that his face stayed neutral as he gave the other a similar look, after all it wouldn't be the first time someone had tried to repay him by trying to rob him.

The male must have seen something he liked as his eyes lost their suspicious glare and a slight grin graced his lips before he turned his full attention back to the female. Kneeling beside her he did a quick check and some of the tension eased out of his shoulders as he picked her up and stood, cradling her in his arms.

Turning back to Kanda the other had a wider grin on his face and finally spoke, "thanks man, I really owe you one."

Kanda merely gave a quick nod of his head before shifting his weight to his right leg as a way of letting the other know that he was preparing to leave.

"Hey, where are you going? I've got to repay you somehow."

"No thanks," Kanda kept his answer a short as possible, wishing that he'd take the hint and leave himself. Kanda hated the fact that Allen was still unprotected on his own but he didn't want to lead the man to him either.

"What do you mean 'No thanks', I've got to give you something for helping out."

"I meant what I said, I don't need anything from you," Kanda now let his irritation show through as he practically growled out his answer.

That reply was obviously not what the other male was expecting if the stunned silence was anything to go by. However, Kanda's stomach decided to state its objection at this point and as there was so little noise it was easily heard by the other.

"Well, it sounds like you could at least do with some food," he spoke with obvious humor.

Kanda despised how elated the other seemed to be at this revelation.

"Come with me and I'll get you some great things to eat!"

"No, I told you. I don't need your help," Kanda mentally cursed himself for helping out as he now fought to not just run away from this persistent man.

"Maybe you don't but I'll bet that someone else does," the other finally lost his smile as he stared Kanda in the eye.

Kanda was now not only cursing himself but mentally kicking himself as well; knowing that the other must have picked up on his body language and now knew that Kanda had a weak spot.

"Look, I know that you don't trust me and you don't have to but I do owe you and I promise not to do anything that could endanger you or your friend. I can give you a meal and a safe place to eat it and before you turn me down again you should consider your friends well-being."

The seriousness of the others voice gave Kanda pause, they could use the help but there was still the question of safety.

"Who are you anyway?" Kanda decided to buy time as he tried to read more of the others body language and motives.

"I'm Lavi and this," he nodded toward the girl he was holding, "is Lena."

"You seem to be able to fight well, how did the guy get the drop on you?"

"I wasn't expecting someone that bulky to move that fast," Lavi seemed duly embarrassed by his admission.

Kanda could tell that the answers were sincere but it only made him leerier in trusting the other, Kanda knew how to fight and could possible take him but if he were outnumbered or if the other got a hold of Allen the fight would be lost.

"What were you guys doing here?" Kanda asked in a bid to buy time while he debated.

"Well, I was running out for some cigarettes and saw her get snatched. I'm not quite sure what she was doing here. She and a couple of other girls were supposed to be at a party." The other seemed to understand the ploy but answered promptly and honestly to try and set Kanda's mind at ease.

"Party?"

"Well, yes. You see we work at an exclusive little enterprise that provides company for the lonely."

"You mean you're prostitutes?" Now Kanda was definitely set against going with them, he and Allen may not have the best life but it was better than being caught and kept as a sex slave.

"No we're not prostitutes. Well, not all of us," Lavi amended sheepishly. "The people there are more like arm candy; you know show up at an opening event with some hot little thing hanging on your arm. Some are dancers and go to big business parties to provide a distraction from work but we're a respectable place of business."

"And what about the rest of you?"

"Well, some go above and beyond the normal service for a little extra money but that practice is frowned upon by the bosses."

"Bosses?"

"Yeah, there are three owners of our business. They work their hardest to ensure that the work environment is safe and that the employees are happy and healthy," Lavi confirmed with pride.

"And what do _you_ do?" Kanda had caught that he had yet to speak of his job.

"I'm one of the bodyguards!" Pride definitely swelled through his voice.

Kanda could tell that he was still standing tensely and the other could probably read his uncertainty but he was torn between the decision to stay on his course with Allen or try and trust this virtual stranger at least long enough to get some food.

"So what do you say?" Lavi finally asked, breaking the long silence between the two.

oOoOo

A/N: Isn't nature grand? I had this ready to post and on the day I was going to we got hit with a blizzard (apparently a first for our state). The storm wasn't really all that bad but it did take out my internet for the day, being bored I reread the work I had done on this chapter previously and decided that the last paragraphs just didn't flow that well so I sat down and rewrote them. I'm still unsure how well it works now but I think that it is a definite improvement from the way it was. Sorry about the delay, I'll try and get the next up quicker.


	5. Chapter 5

Spiral

Chapter 5

**Rated M: For my piece of mind.**

**Chapter Warning: Language again (what can I say, Kanda's got quite the mouth), some violence and seeming OOC-ness (though I did warn this is A/U)**

**Disclaimer: I still don't have a hope in hell of ever owning D . Gray -Man.**

Still no beta on this, so please forgive (or point out) the errors.

A million apologies to all who waited for this chapter, I was unable to use my computer for the longest time. I have no idea what a "proxy server" is but I discovered that when the computer is unable to connect to it you get no internet service. I also discovered that the wait for computer repair is unimaginatively long, supposedly if I 'had made a prior appointment it would have been faster' but honestly who decides when their computer is going to need to be fixed?

As always this chapter is going out to my friends M . Nikolai, Shizuhana, whisperypath, and a brand new friend Famelia Ly. Late as this is I hope that this story is still continuing to go well so far, in your opinions, and that this chapter doesn't disappoint. I would have written more but I forgot to transfer my story files to my flash drive plus the fact that I don't really have access to another computer, so again I'm very sorry.

To those who've PM'd me, I'm not ignoring you (honest) after this is up I will get to answering you and I hope that you'll forgive me for not getting to you sooner. Also a quick thank you to Famelia Ly for the great suggestions, I was going to start adding them in this chapter but I decided to wait until the next one (I hope that's okay).

oOoOo

_Previously, Kanda was left with a tough decision…_

_"So what do you say?" Lavi finally asked, breaking the long silence between the two._

oOoOo

As Allen watched Kanda leave he tried to fight back the anxiety that always seemed to attack him whenever he saw Kanda striding away and leaving him alone even if this time it was because of his own insistence.

"He'll be fine, he can take care of himself," Allen whispered the reminder to himself as he thought about the three men on the ground that they'd so recently left behind them.

There in the dark and sudden silence time started to lose its meaning with seconds seeming like minutes and the minutes resembling hours.

'He's been gone so long, I hope that he's okay,' Allen thought as he continued to huddle in the darkness of the storefront clinging to one of their bags as the other sat at his feet and he waiting for some sign that Kanda was coming back.

Viciously chewing his bottom lip Allen felt like an eternity had passed since he'd been left alone and a sick feeling was beginning to settle in his stomach at the thought that something might have happened to Kanda.

'I wish I could tell how long it's been since he left,' Allen thought gripping the bag tighter.

The silence stubbornly continued on, almost unnatural in its existence.

'It seems like it's been so long,' Allen now debated leaving his hiding spot to try and see if he could find Kanda.

'No, he told me I have to stay here. Didn't I just promise him that I'd be more careful, besides surely he's fine,' during this Allen had made it one footstep out only to pull himself back to the shadows as his mental argument increased.

The sick feeling in his stomach was beginning to be accompanied by an old but all too familiar feeling of dread that seemed to exist to bring back the unpleasant memories that he tried so hard to forget.

'He wouldn't leave me, would he?' In his fear, Allen clung painfully tight to the bag as he tried his hardest to hear even the faintest sound in the suddenly bitterly cold and forlorn night.

'No, he promised that he wouldn't leave me,' he tried to reassure himself of Kanda's promise while blinking back the tears that threatened to overwhelm him at the thought that Kanda would willingly not return.

So distraught was he at that point that he almost missed the sound of footsteps approaching the end of the alley and when they did finally register he basically threw himself out of his hiding spot. In his eagerness and joy at being reunited with Kanda again he failed to remember that when Kanda walked he did so with as little noise as possible.

oOoOo

'Dammit,' Kanda ranted to himself, 'why didn't I just leave while he was busy hitting that guy?' Kanda stayed tensed as he approached the end of the alley with Lavi at his back. 'The only good thing is that he genuinely seems to care about that girl's safety and comfort so at the very least it should prevent him from attacking.'

His words did little to relax his posture as every hard won instinct warred with him to not leave his back unguarded to an unknown fighter. Continuing to mentally berate himself Kanda kept acting against his instinct and lead his way back to where he left Allen. Kanda hated that Lavi was apparently able to read him so well as to know to keep himself at a distance that was just out of reach to let Kanda know that he had no plan to attack.

'I can't believe this, what I'm doing?' But Kanda knew the answer to his question even as the image of Allen's too thin body and almost sickly pronounced ribs sprang into his mind. 'He's got to get some real food into him.'

The image of Allen's current condition melded seamlessly into the image Kanda had of the first time he had ever laid eyes on Allen.

_~Thin and pale stick-like legs poked from baggy too big shorts that looked like they were taking the place of pants, small delicate fingers barely visible from the faded and threadbare long-sleeved shirt of indescribable color that might have once been white or beige but was now so dirty as to appear dark gray. Pale silver white hair that covered the face like a veil or curtain but all thought seemed lost when the doll-like creature looked up from where he was kneeling and large innocent eyes full of the wisdom and misery of the ages met with blue, so dark they were almost black, eyes.~_

'Doll-like, that described him perfectly as he kneeled next to the dirty puddle of liquid that to this day I still hope was water in the hazy light of that polluted sunset. Even surrounded by the filth of humanity he seemed so fragile and unspoiled just like someone's antique but broken doll, thrown out when it no longer amused them.'

'He's changed so little since then, he's still too fragile, too small and too thin.' Even while his thoughts ran the gauntlet of memory Kanda continued to track Lavi's movement behind him as his eyes and ears kept extended to ensure that there were no other threats present.

Coming around the corner he tensed further still when he was greeted by the sight of Allen jumping out of the shadowed doorway. Any anger he initially felt by Allen's refusal to stay hidden until Kanda called him was lost when he got a glimpse at Allen's face.

His large eyes looked to be almost swimming with unshed tears and there was a rarely seen tension to his body language as the bag he was holding looked to be in a death-grip. His face practically radiated joy and relief as his body seemed to relax marginally, until he took in the entire scene that was displayed behind Kanda.

oOoOo

'Wow, that guy is seriously on his way to an ulcer,' since Lavi's first assessment of the teen that had come to his aid he'd been keeping his movements as deliberate as possible to let the one front of him know of his every move with the clearest intentions he could.

'He's definitely grown up on the streets,' having been a street rat himself Lavi knew the body language and posturing of those who tried to stay alive on their own.

'I know how hard it is out there but I've tried everything I can to put him at ease and I don't even know his name,' Lavi grinned lightly as he tried to plot an appropriate path of approach.

'I wonder who he's traveling with and how long they've been out here.' Lavi's questions about the so far unknown male in front of him momentarily halted as his chagrin at what all had recently transpired kicked into full gear.

His body was still tender but it was his pride that took the worse hit. However, what he felt most was irritation that he'd had to rely on someone's aid in the first place. 'I can't believe that I wasn't able to finish that guy off on my own.'

While he didn't really hate that someone had had to help him, especially as he knew that the other guy could easily have stayed out of it, he still felt a large amount of self-disgust that he'd needed the aid to begin with.

'All those years on the street myself, not to mention all of the extra training I got when I was first offered the job and I got taken out by some hack of a mugger,' Lavi's biggest gripe went unvoiced as he knew that the thing that ashamed him the most wasn't that he'd need help or that he'd been injured it was that he'd allowed one of the ones that he was supposed to protect to be hurt.

'I'd never have dreamed that this day, or any day really, would turn out like this,' Lavi thought with a sigh as he shifted Lenalee to a more comfortable position.

'Lena may be small but she's gonna get kind of heavy soon, I wonder how much farther we're going?'

Even as Lavi thought this he noticed that the one he was following was slowing as he turned and exited the alleyway. The scene that he came upon as he following the other out had him almost laughing out loud and the effort of holding it in almost lost him his hold on the girl in his arms.

The dark-haired teen's friend was a small pale figure that was hard to identify as male or female and it looked like they were launched from the doorway that they were hiding in while the one in front of him had stiffened up and looked ready to yell at him. Lavi lost his urge to laugh as he fully took in the body language and expression that was on the child's face as well as the change in body language of the one who had led him.

'The kid looks on the verge of tears, what's up with that?'

Then the pale figure caught sight of him over the others shoulder and Lavi saw uncertainty and fear display themselves in the pale expressive eyes.

"Kanda?" The child's voice was as unidentifiable as their look, small and willowy sounding it could have belonged to either a young boy or a young girl.

oOoOo

Lavi's presence was momentarily forgotten as Allen turned his gaze to Kanda in question and Kanda in turn tried to seek the reason for Allen's distress.

"Dammit, I told you to stay put." The harsh words Kanda spoke were softened by his gentle tone.

"I'm sorry," again Allen seemed on the verge of tears as he turned his downcast eyes to the ground and Kanda sighed quietly while he headed towards Allen.

Lavi was now treated to the rare sight of an almost at ease Kanda as the older boy pulled the small figure into a quick but expressive hug that had the small figure losing his previous tension.

As Kanda loosened his hold Allen half hide behind him and turned his gaze to the newcomer.

"Um," again Lavi was unable to determine anything from the light voice but Allen's unasked question seemed to bring Kanda back to his senses as he turned back to face Lavi.

"This is Lavi," Kanda gestured sharply at the male then pointed his finger at the female in Lavi's arms, "and that is one of the reasons we're in this situation."

"Hey!" Lavi's voice sounded out in mild disbelief at Kanda's way of introduction.

"And this," Kanda continued smoothly completely ignoring Lavi's outburst and flicked his fingers back to the figure still half-hiding behind him, "is Allen, the other reason we're in this situation."

"Pleased to meet you," the now identified Allen said politely with a small bob of his head.

"Yeah, it's a pleasure to meet you as well," Lavi said, trying to keep his voice as gentle and kindly as possible because it didn't escape his notice that 'Allen' had yet to loosen his hold on the bag in his grip nor had he made any move to leave Kanda's shadow.

Feeling Allen's questioning gaze on him once more Kanda decided it was time to let him in on the situation and the agreement that he and Lavi had made.

oOoOo

"So what's her name anyway?" Showing none of the apprehension that he had displayed earlier Allen now treaded at Lavi's side as he led them to his place of employment and 'home' and freely talked with him.

"This is Lenalee but feel free to call her just Lena and I'm sure that she's pleased to meet you both," Lavi briefly raised the arm that held her head so that she seemed to nod hello herself and was rewarded with a gentle giggle from Allen and a dark scowl from the newly identified Kanda. Try as he might Lavi had no success in breaking Kanda's seriousness down even a fraction.

Turning his gaze to Allen he was more than a little surprised at how easily the kid had accepted the situation, going from such nervousness to what seemed complete ease just because Kanda had said so showed a staggering amount of trust between the two.

"What's this place that we're going to like?" Allen asked again because his previous attempts left him confused as to where exactly Lavi and Lena worked.

"Well, I think it's a great place to work," Lavi began but another warning growl from Kanda made him uneasy with answering fully. The first time Allen had asked that question the look on Kanda's face made Lavi wonder if he was going to decide it was easier to kill him and Lena and dispose of the bodies where no one would find them. Since then Lavi had tried to keep the descriptions as vague as possible as Kanda had apparently decided that Allen would somehow be corrupted if he knew the truth.

"Most of the people are really friendly and outgoing though the bosses are a little…odd," Lavi continued with his vague half-true description, "we're a truly independent business. We have most of our needs available on the premises, even own cook."

"Really? It must be a huge place," looking around suddenly Allen seemed to be trying to make a guess at size based on the building that they were currently passing.

"Yeah, it's a pretty big place. It's one of the older places in the city so it has some of the same great architecture as some of these buildings, including a few carvings and gargoyles. The place is really well maintained so there's nothing getting ready to crumble off like some of the other old buildings. Inside is just as impressive, we have a large lobby and a few floors devoted to parties and above them we also have our own apartments." Lavi spoke proudly about the building he lived in and was happy to see the awe in Allen's eyes as he continued on with his explanation but he didn't fail to notice that Kanda's unease only seemed to increase.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Lavi murmured to Kanda as Allen continued to look around him in amazement that people not only worked but lived in these kinds of buildings.

Kanda merely growled while his frown deepened.

"If you want people to understand you, you have to use actual words."

"I just don't like the idea of us being trapped," Kanda snapped at him.

"Trapped, what do you mean? We're not going to trap you." Lavi almost raised his voice at Kanda's suggestion.

"We're being led to a place that has multiple floors and each of those floors had multiple locked doors and you're telling me that we're not being trapped." The tension in Kanda's shoulders was so great at this point that Lavi knew that he was going to be in pain later but the amount of sheer distrust still unnerved Lavi.

"I promised nothing was going to happen and I meant it," Lavi tried again to reassure Kanda that he and Allen were going to be safe but he could see that too much distrust lay between them for that to happen so he tried a different tack.

"I know you don't trust me but you should know that I also grew up on the streets so I do understand where you're coming from and what you fear. I know that you can't just get over all that's happened to you and all the fear you feel but I do promise you that I won't let anything happen to you or your friend while you're there."

"That might have worked better before I saw you getting beat and had to rescue you," Kanda said with a slight lessening of his scowl.

"Well that just goes to show that you can take care of yourself in there, then doesn't it?" Lavi replied with a little cheer as well as chagrin.

"Even the best fighter in the world can be taken down by surprise or numbers," Kanda countered with an outright frown.

"Then how about a deal," Lavi said as he gazed blankly at Allen. "I'll help you watch your back while you're there and fight alongside you to balance the numbers and if anything happens that you don't approve of you can take it out on me."

"What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said, if something happens that you don't like I'll let you beat me up. I won't fight back at all." Lavi spoke with absolute assurance about his actions while Kanda took on a thoughtful appearance.

"Did you really grow up on the streets?"

"Yes, I did. I know the worry and fear that greet each day and I know how terrible it is to lose those you swore to protect."

Both of them gazed at Allen as he turned his attention back to them. Lavi with a look that showed he did have an idea of what Kanda felt and Kanda with a considering but unsure look.

"When we get there I want to know more about your past," Kanda's voice left no room for argument and Lavi could only nod his promise, assured in the fact that at least for tonight these two would be safe from the darkness of the street.

oOoOo

A/N: Again I'm sorry that this took so long I'll try and get the next one up quicker but, as before, I make no promises; especially if my computer acts up again.

Also, if any tech smart people read this and want to inform me as to what exactly a proxy server is (or what precisely it does) I would be very grateful. Thank you all for your time and patience.


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